George Smitherman

Last updated

Christopher Peloso
​
​
(m. 2007;died 2013)​
George Smitherman
George Smitherman, Pride barbeque at Fudger House (cropped).jpg
Smitherman in 2007
8th Deputy Premier of Ontario
In office
September 21, 2006 –September 8, 2009
Children2
Residence Toronto
OccupationConsultant

George Smitherman (born February 12, 1964) is a former Canadian politician and broadcaster. He represented the provincial riding of Toronto Centre in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1999 to 2010, when he resigned to contest the mayoralty of Toronto in the 2010 municipal election. Smitherman is the first openly gay Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) elected in Ontario, and the province's first openly gay cabinet minister. [1]

Contents

Smitherman was a candidate in the 2018 municipal election running for Toronto City Council in Ward 13 Toronto Centre which included much of the provincial riding he represented as an MPP. He received 15% of the vote, failing to unseat incumbent Kristyn Wong-Tam who received 50%. [2] [3]

Since March 2020 he has been president and CEO of the Cannabis Council of Canada. [4]

Background

Smitherman was born at Humber Memorial Hospital (now Humber River Regional Hospital Church site) in Weston, Ontario and spent much of his early years in Etobicoke (he briefly lived in East York, Ontario). [5] He is the son of Irene Margaret (Wood) and Arthur Smitherman, [6] and one of four children. Smitherman spent much time working with his father's business, Smitty's Haulage (later Sure-Way Transport). [5]

Smitherman admitted a five-year addiction to an illegal drug before running for political office. [7] Smitherman has not indicated the specific drugs he was addicted to during this time, except to say that they were part of the "Toronto party scene", and that "the drugs were not injected". [8] He is estranged from his older brother, saying they didn't fall out but just drifted apart. Arthur, who ran for city council from Ward 8, endorsed Rob Ford for mayor. [9]

On August 5, 2007, Smitherman married his partner, Christopher Peloso, near Elliot Lake, Ontario. Peloso was a manager with Lindt & Sprüngli. [10] On September 26, 2009, the Toronto Star reported that Smitherman and Peloso had been approved as adoptive parents by the Toronto Children's Aid Society. They adopted two children named Michael and Kayla. Peloso also had a daughter from a previous relationship. [11] Peloso, who was reportedly suffering from clinical depression, was found dead after going missing in December 2013. [12]

Early politics

Smitherman was active in politics at Burnhamthorpe Collegiate Institute, where he was the high school's student council president. [13] He left high school before graduation. He dabbled in municipal politics in Etobicoke. Smitherman decided against post-secondary education and began his political career. He worked as an organizer for the Ontario Liberal Party and Premier David Peterson. He was chief of staff to Ontario cabinet minister Hugh O'Neil and senior advisor to Ontario federal political ministers Herb Gray and David Collenette. He was chief of staff and campaign manager to one-time Mayor of Toronto Barbara Hall. He also ran a private consulting business and co-owned a photofinishing shop in downtown Toronto until 1994.

Provincial politics

In the 1999 provincial election Smitherman was nominated as the Liberal Party candidate for the riding of Toronto Centre-Rosedale. Former Toronto mayor John Sewell was running as an independent candidate, and activists accusing him of splitting the left-wing vote with the New Democratic Party. Although a Progressive Conservative government was re-elected, Smitherman won the seat for the Liberals. [14]

In the legislature, Smitherman was nicknamed "Furious George" for his aggressive and often abrasive manner, and rose to become McGuinty's right-hand man and favourite "attack dog". When asked about this nickname, Smitherman mockingly said that he was an "attack poodle". [15] In the 2003 election Smitherman was re-elected and the Liberals won the election. [16] Dalton McGuinty was sworn in as the 24th Premier of Ontario on October 23, 2003. Smitherman was named to cabinet as Minister of Health and Long-Term Care and the Toronto Regional Minister. [17] In 2006, he was additionally named Deputy Premier of Ontario.

Under Smitherman's leadership, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care launched the Wait Times Strategy in 2004. The new health care model was designed to reduce wait times for various procedures such as hip and knee replacement, MRIs and CT scans. The Wait Times Strategy also focused on shrinking wait times for cancer, cardiac and cataracts surgeries. [18]

Smitherman also launched the Ministry's "Aging at Home" strategy in 2007. The initiative focused on delivering enhanced community health care services and enabling seniors to live independent, healthy lives at home through home care and other community-based services. [19]

In the 2007 election, Smitherman was re-elected as the MPP for Toronto Centre and continued in his roles as Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, Deputy Premier and Toronto Regional Minister. [20] [21]

However, Smitherman was criticized for ignoring calls for an independent investigation into C. difficile deaths in hospitals, and he was unable improve the lives of nursing home residents who were often forced to sit in soiled diapers for hours on end. [22] Smitherman was also criticized for failures related to the implementation of an electronic health records system called eHealth that partly occurred during his tenure as Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. eHealth was under criticism for awarding no-bid contracts, as well as the $647 million spent on its predecessor, Smart Systems for Health Agency, which was shut down and restarted as eHealth. Smitherman's successor David Caplan resigned as Minister in 2009 to take responsibility for mistakes that were made. [23]

Smitherman with Bob Rae at the 2008 Pride Toronto parade Toronto Pride - 2008 - IMG 3156.jpg
Smitherman with Bob Rae at the 2008 Pride Toronto parade

On June 20, 2008, Smitherman was shuffled to the new Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, a merger of two formerly separate government departments. [24] McGuinty dismissed suggestions that he combined the energy and infrastructure portfolios to satisfy Smitherman, saying, "I think it's a great fit, it's a natural fit, and it's an essential part of our plan to grow this economy."

As the Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, Smitherman was responsible for Ontario's Green Energy Act, which was passed in September 2009. The Act encourages investment in green energy production by providing businesses the ability to sell energy produced from renewable sources to the province's electricity grid through a Feed-in-Tariff program. [25] The Green Energy Act has resulted in a series of record-breaking corporate investments in wind and solar energy worth billions of dollars. [26]

The World Wind Energy Association chose Smitherman as the recipient of their annual World Wind Energy Award in 2009 for his outstanding achievements in making Ontario the leading wind energy jurisdiction in North America. [27]

Cabinet positions

Ontario provincial government of Dalton McGuinty
Cabinet posts (3)
PredecessorOfficeSuccessor
Gerry Phillips (Energy)
David Caplan (Infrastructure)		 Minister of Energy and Infrastructure
2008–2009
new merged ministry		 Gerry Phillips
Elizabeth Witmer Deputy Premier of Ontario
2006–2009		 Dwight Duncan
Tony Clement Minister of Health and Long-Term Care
2003–2008		 David Caplan

Toronto mayoral election

On September 9, 2009, Smitherman strongly suggested that he would be running for mayor of Toronto in the upcoming 2010 mayoral election. He emphasized that any official announcements would not come before "the unofficial campaign season municipally begins in the new year". [28]

On November 8, Smitherman announced his resignation from the provincial cabinet in order to run for mayor. [29] He remained in the legislature as a backbench MPP until January 4, 2010.

In April 2010, Smitherman's campaign manager, Jeff Bangs, resigned and was replaced by Bruce Davis, chair of the Toronto District School Board and a veteran of local politics. [30] [31]

On August 21, 2010, the Ontario Liberal Party began distributing pamphlets, listing Smitherman's provincial record and endorsements, to 75,000 identified Liberal voters. This partisan endorsement led to speculation that Smitherman's political fortunes were connected with those of the Liberal provincial government. Several other mayoral candidates criticized Premier McGuinty and the provincial Liberals for jumping into the race. [32] [33]

Smitherman admitted telling a volunteer working for rival Rocco Rossi to "screw off". Smitherman claims he was set up by Rossi's campaign and he said the young woman tried to hand him a paper questioning his work with youth before a debate. [34]

Smitherman's campaign has been criticized for swaying first to the left and then the right. After Labour Day, he made fiscal promises to freeze property taxes for a year and cut down on reckless spending. [35]

Following the results of a Nanos Research poll, released on September 19, Smitherman made the following statement "The polling that we've seen tells us that if an election was held now, Rob Ford would be our mayor," Smitherman said. "That obviously provokes a certain distaste and reinforces for us that we need to work harder for the values of our city." The poll put Ford's level of support at 45.8% among decided voters. Smitherman held 21.3%, Joe Pantalone 16.8%, Rocco Rossi stood at 9.7% and Sarah Thomson at 6.4%. [35] Smitherman vowed to lead the "anybody-but-Ford" movement and encouraged strategic voting. [36]

In October, Smitherman picked up support. Sarah Thomson dropped out and endorsed Smitherman. Smitherman and his staff were also pressing some of Rocco Rossi’s key supporters to switch; Rossi soon dropped out due to being unable to improve poll numbers but did not endorse any other candidates. Former Toronto (pre-amalgamation) mayors David Crombie and Art Eggleton also endorsed Smitherman. Several left-leaning councilors who were normally allies of Joe Pantalone, Joe Mihevc, Adam Vaughan, and Pam McConnell, decided to back Smitherman's campaign instead. Smitherman urged strategic voting and repeatedly asserted, "a vote for Joe Pantalone is a vote for Rob Ford." [37] Smitherman also left a voice-mail for outgoing Mayor David Miller, hoping that Miller would persuade Pantalone to bow out, but Miller never returned the call (back in 2003, Barbara Hall's campaign used back-channel efforts to discourage Miller's run for mayor) and gave a public endorsement of Pantalone instead. [31] Following the results of the October 18 Angus Reid Public Opinion Poll, Smitherman and Ford were practically tied for first place, with Ford at 41% and Smitherman at 40%. [38]

On election day, Smitherman finished second with 35.6% of the vote compared to Ford who won 47.1%. [39]

Post-political career

Smitherman joined radio station CFRB on an occasional basis in January 2011. [40] He turned down an invitation from Premier McGuinty to run in the 2011 provincial election but said he intended to run for office again at some point in the future. [40]

He was the chairman and principal at the consulting firm he founded, G & G Global Solutions and also a zone advisor to Ryerson University's Digital Media Zone.

He also serves on the boards of medical marijuana producer THC Meds Ontario Inc., drone maker Alta Vista Ventures and mining company Ceylon Graphite. [41]

Smitherman considered returning to politics and seeking the Liberal Party of Canada's nomination for a federal by-election in Toronto Centre but announced on July 29, 2013, "I won't be a candidate now. I won't be contesting a riding in the 2015 general election or any other," as he prefers to prioritize "fun, family and finances". [42]

Smitherman wrote a memoir called Unconventional Candour, published in 2019 by Dundurn Press.

Smitherman announced in February 2017 that he intended to run for a seat on Toronto City Council for one of the Toronto Centre wards in the 2018 municipal election. [41] He said if he ran, he would divest himself of any current business interests that may pose a conflict. [43] In May 2018, he confirmed that he would be running in Ward 23. [3]

Smitherman had also expressed interest in returning to provincial politics and reclaiming his former riding of Toronto Centre in the 2018 provincial election, which was vacant following the resignation of Glen Murray, but faced resistance from the leadership of the Liberal Party which considered him an unsuitable candidate for the party's nomination due to his association with the eHealth scandal as well as his reputation for being difficult and temperamental, and threatened to disqualify his candidacy. [44] In the face of this opposition, Smitherman decided not to pursue the Liberal nomination and instead focus on his municipal campaign. [45]

He originally ran for an open seat but after Ontario Premier Doug Ford's government reduced the number of seats on Toronto City Council by half, Smitherman opted to run in Toronto Centre Ward 13 against incumbent councillors Kristyn Wong-Tam and Lucy Troisi for the new ward's single seat on council. He came in second, winning 15% of the vote to Wong-Tam's 50%. [2]

Electoral record

2018 Toronto municipal election — Ward 13, Toronto Centre
CandidateVotesPercentage
(x)Kristyn Wong-Tam 15,70650.26%
George Smitherman4,73415.15%
(x)Lucy Troisi 2,6988.63%
Khuram Aftab1,7945.74%
Walied Khogali Ali1,4084.51%
Ryan Lester9683.10%
Tim Gordanier7342.35%
Jon Callegher7132.28%
John Jeffery5301.70%
Catherina Perez5111.64%
Megann Willson4111.32%
Barbara Lavoie1760.56%
Jordan Stone1610.52%
Richard Forget1500.48%
Jonathan Heath1440.46%
Kyle McNally1380.44%
Darren Abramson1080.35%
Gladys Larbie1010.32%
Rob Wolvin640.20%
2010 Toronto mayoral election
CandidateNumber of votes% of popular vote
Rob Ford 380,20147.098%
George Smitherman287,39335.602%
Joe Pantalone 94,84011.749%
Rocco Rossi 4,9730.616%
Others39,8424.936%
Total807,249100%
1999 Ontario general election
PartyCandidateVotes%
Liberal George Smitherman17,75638.9
Progressive Conservative Durhane Wong-Rieger 13,64029.88
Independent John Sewell 8,82219.33
New Democratic Helen Breslauer4,0198.8
Green Joseph Cohen3920.86
Freedom Paul McKeever 3440.75
Independent Mike Ryner2360.52
Family Coalition Bill Whatcott 2320.51
Natural Law Ron Parker2050.45
2003 Ontario general election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal George Smitherman23,87252.7813.88
Progressive Conservative John Adams9,96822.04−7.84
New Democratic Gene Lara9,11220.1411.34
Green Gabriel Draven1,7393.842.98
Independent Philip Fernandez3240.72
Freedom Silvio Ursomarzo2180.48−0.27
2007 Ontario general election : Toronto Centre
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal George Smitherman 21,52247.85−5.03
Progressive Conservative Pamela Taylor9,08420.20−1.63
New Democratic Sandra Gonzalez8,46418.82−1.28
Green Mike McLean4,4129.815.82
Libertarian Michael Green6861.53 
Special Needs Danish Ahmed2590.58 
Communist Johan Boyden1960.44 
Independent Philip Fernandez1910.42−0.37
Independent Gary Leroux1670.37 
Total valid votes44,981100.00
Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots4571.02
Turnout45,43849.90
Eligible voters91,050

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dalton McGuinty</span> 24th Premier of Ontario

Dalton James Patrick McGuinty Jr. is a former Canadian politician who served as the 24th premier of Ontario from 2003 to 2013. He was the first Liberal leader to win two majority governments since Mitchell Hepburn nearly 70 years earlier. In 2011, he became the first Liberal premier to secure a third consecutive term since Oliver Mowat after his party was re-elected in that year's provincial election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glen Murray (politician)</span> Canadian politician

Glen Ronald Murray is a Canadian politician and urban issues advocate who served as the 41st Mayor of Winnipeg, Manitoba from 1998 to 2004, and was the first openly gay mayor of a large North American city. He subsequently moved to Toronto, Ontario, and was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as a Liberal Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for Toronto Centre in 2010, serving until 2017.

Christopher Bentley is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 2003 to 2013. He represented the riding of London West and was a cabinet minister in the government of Dalton McGuinty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gerard Kennedy</span> Canadian politician

Gerard Michael Kennedy is a Canadian politician in Ontario, Canada. He served as Ontario's minister of Education from 2003 to 2006, when he resigned to make an unsuccessful bid for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada. Kennedy previously ran for the leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party, losing to future premier Dalton McGuinty on the final ballot. He lost the 2013 Ontario Liberal leadership race.

James J. Bradley is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a long-serving Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, sitting as an MPP from 1977 until 2018. He represented the riding of St. Catharines and served in the provincial cabinets of David Peterson, Dalton McGuinty and Kathleen Wynne. He was elected as a regional councillor in the St. Catharines municipal election of 2018. He is currently the Chair of the Regional Municipality of Niagara.

Stephen J. "Steve" Peters is a former politician in Ontario, Canada, who served as a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1999 to 2011. He served as a Speaker from 2007 to 2011 and was a Cabinet Minister in the government of Dalton McGuinty.

Gerry Phillips is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario who represented the eastern Toronto riding of Scarborough—Agincourt from 1987 to 2011. He served as a cabinet minister in the governments of David Peterson and Dalton McGuinty.

David Richard Caplan was a Canadian politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario who represented the ridings of Oriole and Don Valley East from 1997 to 2011 and a cabinet minister in the government of Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty from 2003 to 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kathleen Wynne</span> 25th premier of Ontario

Kathleen O'Day Wynne is a former Canadian politician who served as the 25th premier of Ontario and leader of the Ontario Liberal Party from 2013 to 2018. She was member of provincial parliament (MPP) for Don Valley West from 2003 to 2022. Wynne is the first female premier of Ontario and the first openly gay premier in Canada.

Monique M. Smith is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. She was a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 2003 to 2011 who represented the riding of Nipissing. She was a cabinet minister in the government of Dalton McGuinty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brad Duguid</span> Canadian politician

Brad Duguid is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 2003 to 2018 who represented the riding of Scarborough Centre in Toronto. He served as a cabinet minister in the governments of Dalton McGuinty and Kathleen Wynne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Linda Jeffrey</span> Canadian politician

Linda Jeffrey is a politician in Ontario, Canada. From 2003 to 2014 she was a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario who represented the ridings of Brampton Centre and then Brampton—Springdale. She served as a cabinet minister in the governments of Dalton McGuinty and Kathleen Wynne. On March 25, 2014, she resigned from the legislature to run for Mayor of Brampton, and was elected on October 27, 2014. On 22 October 2018, Jeffrey was narrowly defeated in the mayoral race by former Ontario Progressive Conservative leader Patrick Brown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Pantalone</span> Canadian politician

Joe Pantalone is a retired Canadian politician who served on Toronto City Council and Metro Council from 1980 to 2010. Pantalone was the deputy mayor of Toronto from 2003 to 2010, and represented the Trinity area as a councillor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Miller (Canadian politician)</span> 63rd mayor of Toronto

David Raymond Miller is a Canadian lawyer and former politician who served as the 63rd mayor of Toronto from 2003 to 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vic Fedeli</span> Canadian politician

Victor AnthonyFedeli is a Canadian politician who has been the Ontario minister of economic development, job creation and trade since 2019 and chair of Cabinet since 2018. He is the Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for Nipissing, and has held his seat for the Progressive Conservative (PC) party of Ontario since the 2011 provincial election. Fedeli has previously served as the province's minister of finance, Opposition leader, and interim PC party leader. He stood as a candidate in the 2015 Ontario PC leadership race, but ultimately withdrew and endorsed Christine Elliott.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 Ontario general election</span>

The 2011 Ontario general election was held on October 6, 2011, to elect members of the 40th Legislative Assembly of Ontario. The Ontario Liberal Party was elected to a minority government, with the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario serving as the Official Opposition and the Ontario New Democratic Party (NDP) serving as the third party. In the final result, Premier McGuinty's party fell one seat short of winning a majority government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">39th Parliament of Ontario</span> Parliamentary session of the Ontario Provincial Parliament

The 39th Legislative Assembly of Ontario was a legislature of the government of the Province of Ontario, Canada. It officially opened November 29, 2007, and ended on June 1, 2011. The membership was set by the 2007 Ontario general election on October 10, 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 Toronto municipal election</span>

The 2010 Toronto municipal election was held on October 25, 2010 to elect a mayor and 44 city councillors in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In addition, school trustees were elected to the Toronto District School Board, Toronto Catholic District School Board, Conseil scolaire de district du Centre-Sud-Ouest and Conseil scolaire de district catholique Centre-Sud. The election was held in conjunction with those held in other municipalities in the province of Ontario. Candidate registration opened on January 4, 2010 and ended on September 10. Advance polls were open October 5, 6, 7, 8 and 12, 13, 16 and 17.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 Toronto mayoral election</span>

The 2010 Toronto mayoral election was held on October 25, 2010, to elect a mayor of the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The mayor's seat was open for the first time since the 2003 Toronto election due to the announcement by incumbent mayor David Miller that he would not seek a third term in office. The nomination period for the 2010 municipal election opened on January 4, 2010, and closed on September 10, 2010. The result of the election was a victory for former city councillor Rob Ford. He received 47% of the vote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 Ontario Liberal Party leadership election</span>

The 2013 Ontario Liberal Party leadership election, held on January 26, 2013, at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, elected Kathleen Wynne as the new leader of the Ontario Liberal Party, replacing Dalton McGuinty, who announced his resignation on October 15, 2012. With the Liberals forming the Ontario government, Wynne consequently became Premier of Ontario. After leading a minority government for 18 months, she called an election after the defeat of her government's budget and she led her party to a renewed majority government in June 2014.

References

  1. ↑ "Smitherman quits Ont. seat as mayoral hopefuls register for Toronto race". Canadian Press. 4 January 2010. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 "'Incredibly grateful' Kristyn Wong-Tam re-elected in Ward 13, Toronto Centre". Toronto Star. 22 October 2018. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
  3. 1 2 "George Smitherman to run for Toronto city council". Toronto Star , May 8, 2018.
  4. ↑ "George Smitherman named President and CEO of the Cannabis Council of…".
  5. 1 2 "George Smitherman: A big bully the city needs?". Toronto Star. 14 November 2009. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  6. ↑ "On the passing of Margaret Smitherman, mother of George | The Bulletin". thebulletin.ca. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
  7. ↑ "Smitherman comes clean about 'party drug' habit". CTV News. 12 May 2006. Archived from the original on 9 October 2006.
  8. ↑ "McGuinty 'proud' of Minister who beat drug addiction". National Post. 13 May 2006.
  9. ↑ "Smitherman's brother runs for council, backs Ford". Toronto Star. 8 September 2010. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  10. ↑ "Smitherman weds gay partner". Toronto Star. 6 August 2008.
  11. ↑ Babbage, Maria (3 January 2014). "Christopher Peloso, Husband Of George Smitherman, Remembered As Loving Dad". The Huffington Post.
  12. ↑ "Christopher Peloso, husband of George Smitherman, found dead". CBC News. 30 December 2013.
  13. ↑ Hannon, Gerald (March 2010). "George Smitherman vs himself". Vol. 44, no. 3. Toronto Life. p. 38.
  14. ↑ "Summary of Valid Ballots by Candidate". Elections Ontario. 3 June 1999. Archived from the original on 21 April 2022.
  15. ↑ Campbell, Murray (13 May 2006). "Health Minister's candour sets an example". The Globe and Mail. p. A8.
  16. ↑ "Summary of Valid Ballots by Candidate". Elections Ontario. 2 October 2003. Archived from the original on 21 April 2022.
  17. ↑ "Premier Dalton McGuinty and his 22-member cabinet were sworn in Thursday". Canadian Press NewsWire. 23 October 2003. p. 1.
  18. ↑ "Ontario's Wait Time Strategy". News.ontario.ca. 17 June 2010.
  19. ↑ "Aging At Home" (PDF). 28 July 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 October 2008.
  20. ↑ "Summary of Valid Ballots Cast for Each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. 10 October 2007. p. 16 (xxv). Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 October 2009.
  21. ↑ Ferguson, Rob; Benzie, Robert (31 October 2007). "Premier goes for new blood; Expanded 28-member cabinet has eight ministers from Toronto, three from 905 area". Toronto Star. p. A13.
  22. ↑ Puxley, Chinta (3 July 2008). "Nursing homes failing the grade". The Globe and Mail. p. A9.
  23. ↑ "Opposition calls for Smitherman's head". CBC News. 7 October 2009.
  24. ↑ "The new-look Ontario cabinet". The Hamilton Spectator. 19 September 2008. p. A9.
  25. ↑ Lilley, Wayne (27 November 2010). "Green goals, bigger bills: How Ontario's Green Energy Act got politically compromised - and led to soaring electricity costs". Toronto Star. p. IN1.
  26. ↑ "Ontario green energy policy triggers record-breaking private investment". Energy Efficiency News. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
  27. ↑ "World Wind Energy Award 2009 goes to George Smitherman, Energy Minister of Ontario". Wwindea.org. 29 June 2011. Archived from the original on 27 February 2012. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
  28. ↑ "George Smitherman guns for David Miller". Toronto Star. 9 September 2009. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  29. ↑ "Smitherman announces Toronto mayoral bid". CTV News. 8 November 2009. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  30. ↑ "Bruce Davis to lead Smitherman's campaign for Toronto mayor". The Globe and Mail. 13 April 2010. Retrieved 30 November 2021..
  31. 1 2 Lorinc, John (28 October 2010). "How George Smitherman's dead-end run for Toronto mayor went wrong". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  32. ↑ "Liberals scramble to help George Smitherman stop Rob Ford". Toronto Star. 21 August 2010. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  33. ↑ "Endorsements 'kiss of death' for Smitherman". Toronto Sun. 23 August 2010. Archived from the original on 24 August 2010. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  34. ↑ "Screw off, Smitherman tells volunteer from rival camp". Toronto Star. 3 September 2010. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  35. 1 2 "Ford surges ahead at 45.8% support, new poll shows". National Post. 19 September 2010. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  36. ↑ Marcus Gee (23 September 2021). "Smitherman vows to lead "anybody-but-Ford" charge in Toronto mayoral race". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  37. ↑ "Vote for Pantalone "a vote for Rob Ford", Smitherman says". Toronto Star. 6 October 2010. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  38. ↑ "Ford, Smitherman now tied with days until election, poll finds". Toronto Star. 18 October 2010. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  39. ↑ "Mayor - City of Toronto". The City of Toronto. 26 October 2010. Archived from the original on 31 October 2010. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  40. 1 2 "George Smitherman to host radio show". Toronto Star. 20 January 2011. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  41. 1 2 Rider, David (27 February 2017). "George Smitherman is making a comeback". Toronto Star.
  42. ↑ "Smitherman bows out of race for Liberal nod in Toronto Centre". The Globe and Mail. 29 July 2013.
  43. ↑ "George Smitherman sets sights on Toronto city council seat in 2018". Global News. 27 February 2017. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
  44. ↑ Steve Paikin, "Ontario Liberals wrestle with the principle of local democracy". TVOntario, October 30, 2017.
  45. ↑ "The rise and fall of George Smitherman: Hepburn". Toronto Star , November 2, 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.